58 MY TEN-ROD FARM; 



"Gardening, for my support." 



" Gardening for a living? You don't say so. How much 

 do you get ? ' ' 



u That depends upon the kind of flowers I raise." 



This somewhat confused her ; after a pause she returned 

 to the charge. 



" Do you make it pay, Mrs. Gilman ? My man says 

 farming never will pay." 



A little provoked with the woman, I replied that I thought 

 he might be a good authority on the point, for I had never 

 heard that he made anything pay. 



" Pay or no, he aint such a fool as to stand round in a 

 flower garden, all day, anyhow ! " 



"I suppose not. It is so much more manly ' standing 

 round all day,' with a yard-stick in one hand and a pair of 

 scissors in the other." 



This shot told, for with a flout she disappeared. Turning 

 towards the house I was surprised to discover a nicely dressed 

 young gentleman standing in the path just before me, appar- 

 ently very much taken up with my pinks. He was tall, 

 well made, with a full-bearded face, that indicated at once 

 good sense, education, and refinement. When he had fin- 

 ished examining the pinks, he came towards me, and taking 

 off his hat very politely said, " Pardon the intrusion, but 

 seeing your plants in nursery rows and in such perfect order, 

 I guessed it must be a sales-place, and ventured in. Am I 

 right?" 



